There is a physicality to it & Kalk is the perfect Rock & Roll silhouette. Wielding sheer rock candy savagery, the influence of the old masters is visceral. Jagger, Hendrix, Berry, Townsend. Playing with his teeth, behind the head, smashed guitars, exploding drumsets; Kalk has that in spades.

During a performance, it’s as if his Fender is a dance partner & together not only do they know every trick in the book, but invent a new one every night. At times it’s hard to tell where the Kalk ends & his Stratocaster begins.

As a composer, Justin Kalk shows a tremendous sense of craft. Exploring the subject matter of life & death, addiction, freedom, the romantic, the supernatural & ultimately redemption; There is drama in the songs.

Raucous & animalistic one moment, subtle & nuanced the next. It is obvious he writes music for the right reasons, But it’s the syncopation & Kalk’s uninhibited bluesy howl that makes you believe him.

A gravelly rasp with a firmly held belief or conviction. Whether explaining his broken heart or poetically cursing out the system, he does so with steamroller strength. His voice is entirely his own & it’s too loud not to be heard.

Interesting enough, Kalk developed a longtime friendship with perhaps the most notable artist alive today in Ralph Steadman. Widely known for his illustration’s in Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, his work goes far, far deeper than that.

Gracing not one but three of Kalk’s boutique studio album covers, Steadman is among the most skilled painters of our time, and his pure gonzo style is unarguably the most recognizable. See Johnny Depp’s documentary on Ralph “For No Good Reason” if you’re unfamiliar, or his gorgeously detailed art books “I, Leonardo” or “The Grapes Of Ralph”.

The polished studio albums, “Blue Sky Traffic”, “ VoLcanO” and the yet to be released “Peacemaker” were captured at the legendary Blackbird Studio D in Nashville, TN. Under the glossy surface, The records show a surprising mastery of rock’s past & future, explosive live band hip hop & unshakable hooks. Upon first listen, it is evident Justin is a dreamer with the balloon ambition to trigger a new era.

This is the rare artist breathing new life into Rock & Roll post Hip Hop.

As the song says, there’s sixteen hundred fifty two guitar pickers in Nashville. That’s an understatement, there’s more. But the difference, the big variable; JUSTIN KALK is going for blood.